Loading machine



June 12, 1928.

. N. A. NEWDICK LOADING MACHINE Filed Dem-11, 1922 5 Sheets-'Sheet QNA June 12, 1928. 1,673,526

. N. A. NEwDlcK LOADING MACHINE Filed DeC. 11, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Junlz, 192z;.-y j K N. A. NEWDICK LOADING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed Dec. 11K 1922 June l2, 1928.

1,673,526 N. A. NEWDlCK LOADING MACHINE Filed Deo. 11. 1922 5 sheets-sheety i LD , A om Patented June 12, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,573,526 .PATENT orifice;

Nonnen A. Nnwnioii, on coLuMBUsQonio, Assicfivon fro frnn coLoDnncoMrANY, orl

, COLUMBUS, onion CORPORATION orl DELAWARE.

` LOADING MACHINE'.

Application filed December 11, 1922; Serial No. 606,236.-

This invention relates to improvements in loading machines and has for its primary object the provision of an improvedv and simplified machine adapted for, successful use lor loading loose broken down or blasted minerals into suitable carriers for transportation from the mine, to: provide a machine so constructed as to be capable ot operating eiliciently into winding and tortuous passageways oi underground mines, particularly coal mines.

ln accordance with the invention there is provided a loading machine which consists preferably oE wheeled truck adapted for movement over a mine track-way, and ,upon which truck is mounted. for pivotal or swinging movement in both horizontal? and vertical planes the inclined elongated iframe of a gathering conveyor', the said frame being constructed so that its rear or `discharge end is vertically pivoted above the truck, and its forward end arranged for sweeping engagement with the ground or floor oli af mine at positions in advance of the truck, the arrangement et parts being; such that the gathering conveyor may swing from-.a lined pivotal position upon a portable base unit across the width oi" a mine room or corridor, and yet its rear or discharge end is maintainable in a relatively fixed position so that the conveying Inechanisminounted upon la frame will be enabled to discharge the materials handled thereby into the mevable material conveying pit ears. placedat intervals to the rear of the machine.`

One of the principal objects of the invention rests in the pro-vision ot a loading machine of the character aforesaid when the gathering conveyor consists of an endless conveying belt provided with spaced laterally extending flights, having the going and return ends thereofA disposed in similiar elevations and wherein the belt is driven by a pair ot laterally spaced sprockets carried by the rear or discharge end of the trame,

whereby the length of the belt between said sprockets moves in a' substantially straight lino transversely of said frame across the rear end thereof, the said frame being provided at this point with an openflightspace across which the `flights between said sprockets pass linearly, the. construction being such that the belt, while discharging niaterials, is moving at a` retarded or normal rate of travel, permitting the material to.-

fall by gravitythrough the open flight space into the pit cars placed tlierebeneath and `in a controlled manner in. which spilling or wasting of the coal is avoided.

Another object of the invention resides in theprovision of a: loading machine having a single plane conveyor belt so constructed and mounted for operation that t-he'niateer rails gathered 4thereby will be releasedk trom co-operation with the belt while the 'latter is travelingat anormal rate ofspeedi..r

A further object of the inventionrestsxin the provision of a: loading machine havin@ a singlerplane conveyor belt so constructed that materials will be released from the `belt duringlinear travel of the latter.

TWith these and other objects in view that will appear as the description proceeds,y the invention consists in the novel features oli construction, combination of elements and ly described and pointed out in the appended claims. In said drawings: i f i Figure l is a top plan view ol a loading machine constructed in accordancewith'` the features of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the machine. Figure 3i isa vertical transverse sectional View taken on the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of llligure` 2 and looking in th direction indicated by the arrows. y l

Figure a is a similar view on the line i-l of Figure 2. Y i

Figure 5"s an enlarged detail View dis-` closing thethrust relation between the frame of the conveyor and thetruck frame.l

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional View taken through one of the drive sprockets of the gathering conveyor belt yon the plane indicated by the line 6--6otl*`igure1..

Figure 7 is af detailed verticalsectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 1 and'` disclosing the vertical pivotal-mounting for the gathering conveyor frame. Figure 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional 'View between the. saddle journal and the conveyor frame. i

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view taken yon the plane indicated by the line 9-9 of loading machine comprising the present invention in its entirety. This machine con* sists essentially of a portable base unit,.in this yinstance in the form of a wheeled truck 2, upon which is pivotally mounted for swinging movement in both vertical and horizontal planes a athering or loading conveyor I pre erably provide the wheeled truck 2 in lieu of the endless belt tractor type of truck because of the fact that `the former has the ability of being rapidly transported from place to place in a mine, whereas the t actor type of truck is essentially slow, cumbersome and awkward to move and involves, therefore, a considerable loss of time while the machine is being moved from one working place to another. The tractor type of truck has the advantage, however, of being able to operate at any position within a mine, that is, it is not dependent upon a fixed course of travel, such a track. It is for this reason that the tractor type of loading machine can attack the material to be gathered from any angle with respect to the fixed longitudinal center line of a line, or at any angle with respect to a mine or pit car into which the loading machine is adapted to discharge materials. However, by the present construction the lack of portability or adjustability of the truck atthe working face of a mine is compensated for by pivotally mounting the conveyor 3 upon the truck, so that said conveyor will be enabled to reach the farthermost corners of a mine room by a swinging horizontal sweep movement, which movement is permitted to take place independently of the truck.

The truck 2 consists of a frame 4 having journaled therein transversely vextending axles 5, upon which are mounted ordinaiy flanged track engaging wheels 6, arranged for co-operation with the track-way 7, the ends of the axles 5 being mounted in resilient journals 8 carried in connection with the sides of the frame 4.

Extending longitudinally between the axles 5 is a. motor bed 9, which'carries in this instance an electric motor 10 of appropriate horse power, which motor is employed to impart a slow powerful forward movement to the truck when the loading machine is in operation, or to effect what is known in the art as a sump movement, by means of which the conveyor 3 of the loadin'g machine is forced positively into and under the materials to be loaded. To obtain this necessary powerful infeeding movement, the armature shaft of the motor is equipped, as shown in Figure 4, with a pinion 11, meshing with an enlarged reduction gear 12 carried upon a short longitudinally extending shaft 13, which is journaled infbearings 14 carried in conjunction with the field frame of the 'motor 10. The

extreme forward end of the shaft 13 is equipped kwith a worm 15, in mesh with a worm gear 16 lixed upon the forward axle 5. By this arrangement of gearing it will hc seen that the .speed of the motor l() may be suitably stepped down so that a slow powerful forward movement of requis-ite torque will be imparted tothe wheels 'l`he axles 5 impart power one to the other by means of the chain 1T. which passesovcrsuit'ahle sprockets 18 provided at registering end ot the. axles 5.

The conveyor 3 consists in this instance of an elongated inclined frame 19, preferably formed from structural sheet metal, suitably ribbed and reinforced to possess strength, rigidity and durability. Generally, this frame includes a floor engaging or nose end 20, arranged in advance of the truck 2, a horizontally extending relatively elevated discharge end 21 and an inclined, intermediate connecting portion 22, arranged'between the portions 2O and 2l, and operative to raise the materials to be gathered to a suitable elevation for discharge into underlying pit cars 23. which are replaced as rapidly as they are filled by the operation of the machine.

To mount the frame 19, the truck 2 is provided with a pair of bearing 24, which support the t ansverscly extending horizontally disposed trunnion shaft 25, upon which is pivotally mounted for swinging movement in a vertical plane a saddle journal 26. The yoke shaped end 27 of the journal is mounted as at 28 upon the shaft 25, so that the journal may swing bodily vertically. The said journal further includes a flat rearwardly extending portion 29, disposed immediately beneath the discharge end 21 of the frame 19, and the extreme rear end of the portion 29 is formed with a vertical socket 30, arranged for the reception ot a, stud 21 rigidly mounted upon and dependingr from the extreme rear end of the frame 19, the said stud constituting a. vertical pivot or axis about which the frame 19 swings in a horizontal plane. By this construction it will be noted that the shaft 25 constitutes a horizontal pivot, enabling the frame 19 to swing in a vertical plane, so that the floor engaging end 20 of said frame may automatically accommodate itself to any irregularities or unevenness existing in the mine floor over which the said nose end of the machine sweeps.

To facilitate the horizontal movement of the frame, the journal 26 is formed with a forwardly projecting shelf 32, disclosed more particularly in Figure 3, which shelf carries a plurality of brackets 83 in which are supported for rotation rollers or other antifriction members 34. These rollers are so disposed that the upper peripheries thereof engage with they machined under surface of a guard member 35 placed transversely lill across the under surface of the frame 19@ By this construction the rearwardly extending arm of the journal 26 is relieved of the burden of supporting the full Weight of the frame 19, such Weight being transferred mainly to the rollers 34, which permit the said frame to swing horizontally with but a minimum of resistance from .its supporting structure. The guard member 35 is also provided with a lip 36 arranged to be received `avithin an arcuate recess 37 provided in connection with the journal 26, the

said lip serving to prevent the frame 19 from moving into a vertical plane independently of the supporting journal 26.

The conveyor 3 is formed to include an `endless reversible conveyor belt 38, Which has its going and return runsdisposed to travel innsi-milar elevations, wherein said belt is so mounted as to move in a substantially triangular course, the apex of said course being situated at the nose end of the machine and the base course thereof dis posed at the rear or discharge endthereof. This belt may be of any suitable construction, but in the present instance consists of a. plurality of roller carrying blocks 39, to which are attached or integrally formed flights or conveying arms 40, which project laterally from the line of advance or travel of the belt as `a whole. It will be observed, by reference to Figure 1,'that the blocks 39 are united by chain links 41, which impart flexibility to the belt'and enables the latter to flex in both horizontal and vertical planes, adapting the belt to travel around the circumference ofthe sprockets and also to conform to the construct-ion of the frame The belt 41 is arranged for travel in a pair of rearwardly diverging guides 42 carried by the frame 19, and situated at the rear ends of said guides and in suitable' registran tion therewith is a pair of transversely spaced drive sprockets 43, around which the belt 38 travels and is driven. The specific construction of cach of the sprockets 43 is disclosed in Figure 6, by reference to which figure it will be observed that the frame 19 is formed to include for each sprocket a base plate 44, upon which arises a stud shaft 45 having disposed thereabout a bushing 46. Between the plate 44 and the under side of each of the sprockets 43 there is disposed a Wear plate 47 and a thrust bearing 48,the plate 47 being provided With an upstanding oil ring49. By this construction each of the sprockets 43 rotates freely around the axially disposed liked shafts 45.

Suitably connected with veach of the sprockets 43 for rotation 'therewith isa Worm gear 50, arranged for rotation in dust proof oil containing casings 5l and disposed to mesh With the teeth vof Worms 52, also mounted for rotation in their respect-ive casings 5l. The Worms 52are fixed for rotation in connection With the horizontally extending drive shaft 53, which carries a sprocket 54, over Which is trained an endless chain leading to a sprocket 56 mounted 'upon the driven member 57 of a disc clutch 58, the specific construction of which latter has ybeen disclosed in Figure l0. The driving member 59 `of the clutch is formed to include a. bevel gear 60 arranged to mesh 'with a bevel tooth pinion 61, provided upon the armature shaft of an electric motor 62, which is of the reversible type, so as to be capable of reversing thedirection of movement of the belt 38, enabling the latter to advance materialsr selectedly through the spaced material conveying `Ways 63 of the machine, which are alternately available for the passage of material through the machine in the line of draft of thelatter. i i The disc clutch 58 includes anaxialsup* port 64, upon which is mounted the driven member 57 and the driving member 59. The driving member carries an end Wall 65, upon which is mounted a plurality of pivoted bell cranks 66, carrying rollers 67 which are arranged to engage With a pressure platek 68 movable axially of the support 64 intov frictional engagement With discs 69, these discs being alternately keyed to the Idriven and drivingmembers 57 and 59 respectively of the clutch. The `bell cranks are actuated through the `medium of a sliding hubfO, suitably actuated either manually or `automatically, wherein the arrangement is'such that upon the forcing of the hub 7() inwardly of the clutch, the bellcranks Will be 'simultaneously rocked to impart pressure to the disc 69, which serve to frictionally transmit the rotary movement of the driving member to the driven member.V Furthermore, the clutch serves in thecapacity of a slip element in the `line ofmotion transmission' of the conveyor.'` In theevent that the belt :3S should engage With a relativelyimmovable wall or coa-l lump, damage to the driving elementsl of the conveyor will be avoided by the slip in the clutch 5S, which may beset to slip underpredetermined loads and in this respect serves to prevent careless or unskilled operators `from injuring or breaking the machine.

One of the outstandingafcatures of this construction resides in the sprockets 48 at the rear end of the frame 19. It will beob- `served that the present invention'materially departs from the principles of analogous ma chinos by the inclusion of the tvvinsprockets in lieu of a single sprocket, (a construction commonly found in machines of the prior art). Experience has demonstrated that the side arm single plane type of conveyor is ein tremely efficient in the gathering' of coal, but l at the same time it has been aditlicult-en# i es i so

gineering problem to provide an efficient method of enabling the coal or other materials loaded by a conveyor of this type to be properly released and elevated from the discharge end of the machine It has been common practice to provide a single sprocket at the discliarge' end of the conveyor. but this construction causes-the flights to travel in an arcuate path and upon passing around the circumference of the sprocket the speed of" the flights is materially increased, and since the discharge of the materials has usually taken place during this arcuate movement from the flights, considerable difficulty has therefore resulted in properly controlling and directing the materials into the appropriately placed underlying carriers.l

To overcome this centrifugal discharge, of the materials from the gathering conveyor, recourse has been had usually to secondary or delivery conveyors including elevated hopper sides extending above the plane of delivery of the gathering conveyor or in laterally projecting wings or other structures placed at the rear end of the conveyor for overcoming the tendency of the convey-v ing belt to scatter centrifugally coal discharged therefrom. By the present invention these structures are eliminated and efiicient results obtained by cutting away the rear end of the frame 19 at T1 to provide an open flight space at positions in vregistration with the linear line of travel of the belt 3S between the twin driving sprockets 43. By this construction it will be observed that when coal or other materials are released from the conveying belt the latter is traveling at a relatively slow or normal rate of speed in which the coal is given ample op portunity to drop byy gravity through the space 71 into the pit ear, disposed therebeneath. By this construction there is no whipping or centrifugal throwing of the coal, but simply a sharp positive vertical drop into the car beneath. Moreover, it will be observed that by the twin sprockets the flights move. before the material is discharged therefrom through but 90 degrees of arcuate travel, in contracts to the possible 180 degrees of travel provided by the single sprocket construction. Therefore, by this construction I am enabled to combine the gathering advantages of a single plane con` veyor together with the discharge advantages of a two plane conveyor in a single construction.

To effect bodily horizontal sweep movement of the conveyor I provide a side swinging mechanism which consists of a motor 72, of a reversible electric type, upon the armature shaft of which is mounted a pinion 73, meshing with a reduction gear 74, carried by a worin shaft 75. This shaft is journaled in connection with the frame of the motor 7 2 and extends parallel with the arma,-

ture shaft of said motor. The shaft 75 is equipped with a worm TG, arranged fo mesh with a worm gear 77 fixed upon :1 drum shaft 78, the latter being journaled for rotation betwecn bearings Tf) cmluloycd in con nection with the support of the motor T2. Rotatablc with the shaft. 7S is a drum St), in this instance in thefform of' a pocket sheavc which is journalcd for rotation in a verlical planeand around which is trained an ordinary anchor chain S1. lhtI opposite links of this chainr pass through hawsr guides S2, fixed to the forward part of' thc frame l5), and the cxtreme outer ends of the chain 81 are adapted to be connected .with suitably disposed laterally placed anchors, whereby upon the rotation of the. drum or sheave 8() horizontal motion will be imparted to thc frame 19 in accordance with the di rcction of rotation of the motor 7:2. This construction enables the from end of the machine to oscillatc back and forth across the floor of a mine and to be continually maintained in engagement with the materials being. gathered. so that the sweeping gathering arms or flights ffl of the belt :i8 will be enabled to reach info and penetrate the body of materials to be gathered, cansing the n'iatcrials to be advamred in the line of draft of the machine. through either of the available ways (53, and finally discharged from the machine through the flight space 71. f

During the gathering operations the ma chine is intermittently forced forwardly by the operation of the truck motor 10, which is operated to thrust the nose end Q() of' the frame 19 ino and beneath the materials to be loaded, assisting the functioning of thc chain or belt 38. To secure this result and avoid strain on the swinging saddle journal 26, I provide the under part of the frame 'ffl at the forward end thereof with a centrally disposed arcuate shoe 83, disclosed particularly in Figure 5. This shoe is carried stationarily by the under part of the frame 1S) and has the machined face 8f thereof disposed in engagement with rollers B5 dite posed angularly to the vertical in the forward end of the truck 4. By this construction it will be observed that when the frame 19 is being thrust into engagement with the loose materials, the thrust strains occur largely through the truck frame 4. the shoe 83 and thence directly to the nose end of the machine, and are, not transniitted in any direct manner to the saddle journal 26 and co-operating parts. lt will be undcrstood that the face 84 is struck on an are confronting to the axis of the .shaft 2.3, so that the presence of the shoe 8?) will not interfere in any manner with the vertical swinging movements of the frame 19 when the latter is accommodating itself to floor irregularities or to the elevated positions tlf) llU

which the said frame assumes in being` transported about the mine.

To facilitate the raising of the nose end of the frame 19 from off of the floor of a mine, into a position clear of the trackway over which the machine operates, I provide the truck frame with a hydraulic pump 86, disclosed more particularly in Figures 2 and 3. The upwardly and vertically moving piston 8T of the pump is provided with a transverse cross bar 8S, to which are connected the ends of a pair of ordinary chains 89. These chains pass around guides or sheaves 90 and have their upper ends connected as at 91 with an equalizing link 92, carried rin conjunction with the rearwardly extending end 29 of the journal 2G. It will be understood that by the manipulation of the operating lever 23 of the pump, the piston 87 of the latter may be suitably ele- Vated to impart a downward pull to the rear end of the conveyor 3, causing the latteiI to rock bodily about its horizontal fulcrum 25, and thereby lifting the forward nose end of the frame to a position free of track inter'- ference.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying sheets of drawings, it will be seen that the present invention provides a loading machine of substantial, durable and simple design, so constructed as to withstand the severe service and inexperienced handling incident to the use of machinery in coal mines. The machine is controlled to a very large extent by the controllers for the motors 10, 62 and 72, eliminating manual adjustments and operations, thereby safeguarding the machine by preventing the negligence of the operators thereof' from affecting the machine.

It will be noted that the machine consists of but one conveyor mounted upon but a single truck. In this particular the machine eliminates the use of a plurality of conveyors, or a plurality of trucks and without in any way sacrificing or lowering the etliciency of the machine as compared with the more complicated structures.

The machine may be well manipulated by but. two operators, one of whom is called upon to operate the controllers for the various motors, and the other at the front end of the machine for the purpose of erecting the side feed jacks to which the ends of the chain 81 are connected. The motor 62 is placed upon the inclined portion of the frame 19 so that the said motor will not interfere with or require greater head room for the machine than the frame 19 itself. It will be appreciated, of course, that the said motor 62 may be shifted into close proximity to the sprockets 43 when the machine is used to operate in coal mines having wide or thick seams. vWhen the head room is restricted, however, I prefer to mount the motor as shown.

What is claimed is:

1. In a loading machine, a portable support, an elongated inclined conveyor frame, a vertical pivotal connection between the rear end of said frame and said support, permitting the front end of said frame to sweep horizontally in advance said support, an endless conveyor belt having its going and returnruns disposed at similar elevations, arranged for travel upon said frame, guides carried by said frame and disposed so that the discharge end of said belt moves in a linear course transversely across the rear end of said frame, laterally extending flights projecting from said belt, and an open unobstructed Hight space formed in the rear end of said frame in registration with the transversely traveling linearly directed portion of said belt.

2. In a loading machine, a portable support, an elongated inclined frame pivotally mounted upon said support for horizontal sweep movement, an endless belt conveyor having its going and return ends disposed at similar elevations mounted upon said frame, liights projecting from said belt and movable through a material conveying way provided in said frame, a single sprocket provided at the forward or lower end of said frame, and a pair of sprockets provided at the upper or discharge end of said frame, said latter sprockets serving to provide for said belt a straight linear course of travel at the discharge end of said frame, said course of travel being transverse of said frame, and an open flight space formed in the discharge end of said frame in registration with the transversely traveling portion of said belt and across which base said flights freely travel.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

NORTON A. NEWDICK. 

